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Athletics

What’s next for Devon Allen after disqualification at World Athletics Championships?

WR Devon Allen made it to the finals at the World Championships in Oregon, but was disqualified for reacting too fast. What’s next for the American?

Update:
WR Devon Allen made it to the finals at the World Championships in Oregon, but was disqualified for reacting too fast. What’s next for the American?
John G. MabangloEFE

American hurdler Devon Allen, who also happens to be a Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver in the NFL, is sparking controversy at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

The 27-year-old was disqualified from Sunday’s 110m Hurdles final at the Championships after he was adjudged to have false started, or in other words after he reacted too fast...

What did USA’s Devon Allen do wrong?

According to the NFL.com, rules state that “any reaction time within 0.100 seconds of the sound of the gun indicates a false start,” and Allen was apparently too quick off the start by one-thousandth of a second.

The ruling caused a huge debate at the Championships and a fuss online, as Allen’s start is invisible to the naked eye, making no sense to a lot of viewers and supporters. Some people demanded the removal of the starting block sensors, which detect a runner’s reaction time, while others called for the reaction time threshold to be lowered.

Allen had secured an automatic spot within the eight finalists with a second-place finish in his semi-final earlier on Sunday. During this season, the Arizona-native had taken first place in three races coming into the World Championships, winning the New York Grand Prix with the third-fastest time in the 110-meter hurdles in track and field history, and the fastest time by anyone in the event this year, 12.84 seconds.

Devon Allen’s NFL connection

Allen is also a three-time U.S. national champion and a two-time Olympic finalist in 110-meter hurdles, both at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2020 Tokyo Games. From 2014-2016, he also played American football at Oregon, and after demonstrating impressive speed during Oregon’s pro day in April, Allen signed a rookie deal with the Eagles earlier this year.

The 27-year-old might have not been lucky as a track and field athlete at this year’s championships, but he has something else to look forward to, which is finding a way onto the Week 1 roster.

Allen is due to report to his first training camp with the Eagles on July 26, even though the last time he played a game was six years ago.